The resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season is on the horizon, but questions still remain about how it’s all going to happen. There are concerns about player safety and fitness, but this is everything you need to know about the NBA return to action.
Operation Restart
Franchise owners voted 29-1 to restart the season by the end of July, and it seems as though the NBA is pressing ahead with that plan. The deadline has already passed for players from the 22 teams heading to Florida to accept or reject their invitation to return to action.
Players are expected to head to the Disney resort in Orlando, Florida, by July 7 to get ready for team training a day or two later. The restarted season is due to begin on July 30, although the league has acknowledged that many of its outlined dates are fluid.
Play-in Tournament
For the first time in NBA history, teams will enter a play-in to determine who makes it to the postseason. The play-in tournament will take place on 15 and 16 August, with the first round of the playoffs beginning on August 17. Game 7 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for October 12, and just four days later the NBA Draft will occur.
Two days after the NBA Draft, the NBA’s free agency will begin on October 18. The offseason won’t be a long layoff for players, as training camps will begin in November with a December 1 date penciled for the 2020-21 season to begin. Teams making the NBA Finals could have less than a month to recover before starting preparations for the 2020-21 season.
This will be the 2019-20 season NBA return, but not as we know it. Fans will witness the very first play-in and players could legitimately be hoisting the NBA trophy one day and less than a week later join a new team. We’re looking forward to it restarting!